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GreekReporter.comGreek NewsEconomyProtests on Lesvos, Lemnos, Samos, Chios Against Government's Plan to Scrap Special...

Protests on Lesvos, Lemnos, Samos, Chios Against Government's Plan to Scrap Special VAT Discount for Aegean Islands

vat island protestOn Wednesday members of both professional and business associations took matters into their own hands and occupied the offices of the General Secretariat of Aegean and Island Policy in Mytilene, Lesvos, to protest against the planned revocation of a special 30 percent discount on value-added tax rates for Greek islands that is set to take place on January 1, 2017.
The occupation by members of 19 different associations on the Greek island lasted for around 3 hours while opposition MPs on the island took part in a protest at the main port of the island. The MPs from several Aegean islands plan on appealing to the government next week in Athens in a meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras where they will ask him to reconsider lifting the tax break in light of the strain the refugee crisis has put on the islands.
Lesvos was not alone in its protests as other islands in the region that are set to have to discount lifted also had similar protests. Specifically the islands of Lemnos, Samos and Chios had many people turn out in protest as government officials have recently announced that the VAT on the islands is going to rise to 24 percent from 17 percent on January 1, 2017.
Previously Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Rhodes and Skiathos lost their special tax discount in October 2015, while Syros, Thasos, Andros, Tinos, Karpathos, Milos, Skyros, Alonnisos, Kea, Antiparos and Sifnos lost it in June 2016.

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